by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Feb 21, 2023 | Coaching, List, Reflection
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
In a recent phone conversation with a runner I train, she expressed concern about two consecutive bad runs she had just experienced. She had an important race coming up in a few days, though not a goal race. She began to freak out a little bit, thinking she may not be ready, or she may fail, or she just wasnât a good runner.
I told her that these things happen to everyone. That they are an inherent part of running. When you have good days, the bad days are around the corner. Just as when you feel on top of the world but then you feel underprepared and crappy when it counts. It is part of the process, one from which you should learn, so you can keep them at bay.
One of your running dreams will eventually come to die in porta potty (Photo Pexels)
Keep running and it will happen. âWhat will happen?â, you ask: Everything! Both the good and the bad.
One or more of these dreadful things happening, even simultaneously, doesnât mean you are finished as a runner, or that your race is doomed. Just as one or more great achievements donât mean youâve made it. It only means you are travelling through one of the typical high-and-low cycles of life, which also reflects itself in your running.
40+ years in running have taught me that if it hasnât happened yet, it is only because you havenât run enough. Keep running and it will happen. Guaranteed.
The Bad:
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You will fall. Hopefully, you wonât break a bone, but you will fall.
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You will underperform in a race, just when you thought youâre PR was in the bag.
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You will crap/pee in your pants.
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You will twist an ankle. How bad, thatâs another conversation, but it will happen.
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You will have a close call with a car. Hopefully, it wonât go beyond that.
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You will have a close encounter with an angry dog. Be prepared.
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You will have to stop a run far from your finishing point and require help getting back.
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You will eat something that unsettles your stomach and spend a pre-long-run night throwing up or sitting on the throne.
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You will have a bad night of sleep, or two, or three; just before your goal race.
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You will experience uncooperating weather during your key training run or goal race.
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You will miss an important run because life just got in the way.
If any of these hasnât happened yet, just keep running.
Remember: Experience is what we get when we donât obtain what we originally set out for. Make sure you take advantage of the inevitable and learn a lesson, so you minimize the chances of it happening again.
Good things you havenât experienced will happen if you keep running. Here is a small sample of them.
One day your battery will die and you will need help getting back to the start. (Photo Pexels)
The Good:
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You will experience an unexpected PR on a race when you thought it wasnât even a possibility.
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You will overcome obstacles to realize you are stronger than you thought.
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You will reap the rewards of having embraced the lesson from a previous failure.-
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You will find the assistance from a running angel at the perfect time, or even better, you will be that angel for a runner in need.
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You will run farther and longer than you once thought possible.
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You will inspire someone who didnât know he/she was a runner to fall in love with the sport.
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You will become friends with people you couldnât believe you had much in common.
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You will find some of the best friendships of your life by hanging out with likeminded people.
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You will surprise yourself and your doctor with the results of your annual physical.
If any of these hasnât happened yet, just keep running.
Anything you may want to ad to these lists? Let me know in the box below.
by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Feb 7, 2023 | Article, Coaching, Reflection
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
Last week I was talking to a friend who is helping his brother train for his first half marathon. He told me the toughest part of the process is making him understand that the âno pain, no gainâ old-school mentality no longer applies to running. The days of alchemy are over. The collective thought has evolved and adjusted to new science studies or discoveries, thus, we understand matters in a new way, one that 5, 10 or 50 years ago was unheard of.
In 1968 Kathrine Switzer had to finagle her way into the Boston Marathon because back then women were thought to be so fragile, they could not endure such physical punishment. The carb depletion pre-marathon protocol was the rage in the mid-1980s, today we know it makes no sense. The âI run through painâ approach that showed bravado 20 years ago, displays recklessness, today. And like that, many more running ideas that once we thought gospel, today are barely gimmicks.
A good book worth the time and the money. Highly recommended.
In his book âDo Hard Thingsâ author Steve Magness, one of my coaching role models, talks in depth about getting over of this old-school thinking. He explains how toughness is navigating through your training, not bulldozing through it. This how we avoid overtraining, and even worse, injuries. It is about being smart.
He goes through eight strategies to develop real toughness as a runner. I am not going to go through all of them, of course. If you want to go in depth into them, thatâs what the book is for. But I will briefly touch on three that caught my attention and that I now teach my coached athletes.
A â Our alarms are adjustable: âBeing tough gets easier the fitter you are.â
What an avant-garde concept! Think about it this way: If you spent the last 10 years on the couch watching TV and eating Doritos but decide to go for a 5K run, most likely you will suffer through it, regardless of your commitment or toughness. But, if you got the running bug, you trained smartly, diligently, and two years later you complete a marathon, it is not because you have multiplied your toughness. You reaped the benefits of your work and got better at it. Just like the first time Bruce Springsteen picked up a guitar, which these days is an extension of his body.
B â We need hope and control: âThe key to improve mental toughness doesnât lie in constraining and controlling individuals. It doesnât lie in developing harsh punishments to teach a lesson. It doesnât lie in screaming at the person to complete the task in front of them.â
The era of âI am not done when we are tired, I am done when I am doneâ, is done (pun intended). If you are training for a marathon, you need to run 18 miles but you are feeling unwell, stressed at work, just had a fight with your spouse last night, didnât sleep well, it is a hot/humid summer morning and you are beat up at mile 15⌠whatâs best? Calling it a day and be happy you completed 80% of your workout despite the circumstances, or pushing through while destroying yourself, to prove your machismo and then having to take 7-10 days to recover from the effort? ⌠Exactly!
Finishing exhausted after a training session could lead to injury. Be smart and always live to run another day. (Photo: Pexels)
C â Feelings and Understanding need interpretation: âThe power through mantra only makes sense if you take stock in what you are powering through.â
I want to make sure my readers understand I am not saying you need to be complacent when training gets difficult. We need to learn how to power through difficult trainings, races, cross training and life. The key is to understand why we are doing what we are doing. If we are trying to run at race pace, then race pace sessions will be difficult. But we need to push through them if we want to understand and teach our bodies how to run at that pace. When we start strength training, or add yoga to our plan, everything will hurt, but thereâs a good reason to keep going despite the aches and pains. It is not about suffering for fun; it is about reaping benefits in the near future.
These is my take on three of these principles, I fully recommend the book. âDo Hard Thingsâ is a good investment of time and money for any runner out there. And it is not just for runners, but for every person wanting to get better at leaving their comfort zone behind and actually going for what they want, for their life goals, not just the athletic ones.
Please leave me your thoughts nn this blogpost, in the box below.
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by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Sep 27, 2022 | Article, Coaching, List, Science
As the fall and winter marathon season starts heating up, and as the preparation for the spring marathons approaches, I feel appropriate to repost an article I wrote last year, that it is still relevant at this time of the running season. Enjoy!
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
 Tapering time approaches for those about to run the Abbott World Marathon Majors this year. Training time approaches for those eyeing their marathon towards the end of 2021 or start of 2022. So, seems like a good time to review some basic mistakes that runners, from beginners to experts, should avoid. This way they can reap the most benefits out of their efforts.
Training for a marathon is a process that involves multiple moving parts that need to work in sync. It needs to reach a point where the body can be stressed enough to compensate its deficiencies and adjust to the workload-thus improving- but not to a point where it becomes too much, and it canât recover to do it again. This means overtraining and, most likely, an injury if intend to tough it out and train through it.
No need to overstress yourself if you avoid these basic mistakes in your training (Photo by Pexels.com)
The following are nine of the most common mistakes runners incur into during a marathon training cycle:
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Running the long runs too fast: There is a time to go fast and there is a time to go slow. The long run has that name because it is designed for you to go long. It is not called the âfast runâ for a reason. They are intended to build up your aerobic system, which, for a marathon, it is used 99% of the time, even if you are the world-record holder.
 2      Focusing too much on the long run: The long run is an important part of your training, sure, but it is just one element, not the bulk of it. The success in your race will depend on the accumulated effect of all the elements in your training, not just one.
 3      Doing the same workouts all the time: Because about 80% of the training needs to be done at a slower speed, there is a small number of hard sessions available, usually no more than two per week, so distance, speed, intensity, and other parameters, need to be worked so the body can benefit and adapt.
 4      Poor fueling and hydration plans: if you donât test strategies during training, you wonât know what works for you. The time to find that out is during training, long runs, especially. The time to realize a certain gel upsets your stomach, is not during the race. Same applies to hydration. What to drink and when needs to be part of race plan, shouldnât be improvised on race day.
 5      Skipping rest days: Not running on a specific day is part of your training. These days should be written into your schedule and followed to the tee. No amount of ice baths, compression socks or protein shakes will do you any good if you donât give your body a break to recover so it can run again.
Rest is as part of your training as your work. Donât skip it!
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Not scheduling cutback weeks: Â During training you build up endurance, aerobic capacity, Vo2Max, and multiple additional parameters. But you canât build up forever. Your body has a limit and needs time to actively rest so it can adapt to the benefits provided by your workouts. Programming a week to cut back on your training provides your body with time to adjust and recover, is key.
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Cutting sleep: Â Remember you donât improve when you work out, you improve while you sleep. The long run the tempo, the weightlifting, or the speed session damage your body. It is when you sleep that your body gets repaired. If you skip on sleep, you wonât realize all the benefits of the training, but you will keep the muscle damage.
 8      Screwing up the tapering: Physiological adaptations after exercise, take between two and three weeks to adapt. So, there is no benefit on one last long run in the last couple of weeks. You need to actively rest and recover your body so it will be in its best shape for race day. During tapering there is nothing to gain, yet a lot to lose.
 9      Following someone elseâs training plan: There is nothing wrong with talking to your buddies about what they are doing, but they may not have the same goals as you and you do not have the same physiology as them. Set up YOUR PLAN, adjust as needed, and stick to it. Trust your coach. Trust your plan. Trust yourself.
Of course, there are more than nine mistakes you can incur during a marathon training cycle. These are just some of the most common and they mostly apply to any distance. As you finish your training for your Abbott Marathon Major or get ready for your upcoming goal race, make sure you are on the lookout for the aforementioned mistakes, so you wonât screw up your hard work. Â
by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 16, 2022 | Article, Coaching, Reflection
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
It is human nature to doubt when your running is not going your way. You doubt your training, or your training plan, or your gear, or your health, or your coach. Especially as racing season or your goal race approach and you may not be hitting all your workouts or paces on the dot. I am not saying it canât be one or more of those topics, maybe a combination of all of them, sure. Yet, if youâre able to identify the culprits and tweak your training, you fall in the category of the perfectly normal runner. These things come with the territory.
Doubting during a difficult time is human nature, but it doesnât necessarily mean defeat (Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels)
It is imperative differentiate if whatâs happening is an isolated incident or a chronic issue sabotaging your entire training cycle. I recently had a trainee questioning his training because he couldnât hold marathon pace on a 3rd 2-mile rep within a 14-mile long run. It was later determined that he started way too late, so it was too hot; a rest day was skipped, and not enough water was consumed during the training session.
An athlete must understand that all workouts have a specific purpose, and workouts are interwoven with each other. A long run alone means nothing without the speed workouts, cross trainings and rest days that compliment it. Understanding the objective of each workout is a shared responsibility between runner and coach.
These are some factors to consider when doubt starts creeping into your training, so you can return to the path of success and be in a position to conquer your running goals:
Training vs. Racing: In 40 years of running, Iâm yet to see the first medal or podium for winning a training run. Too many runners train at 100% effort on a regular basis, not understanding they are undermining their performance by basically racing once, twice or even three times a week. Training is training and you shouldnât be racing through it. It is that simple. If you train at 80% effort, you should be able to race at 100% effort. It is basic physiology. If you run faster, you will run shorter.
Long run: Sure, it is one of the staples of training and one of the most important drills in our entire plan. But on its own, it does nothing for you. If you donât run throughout the week, if the long run occupies too large a percentage of your mileage or if you are running faster than prescribed, you wonât be reaping the benefit you are supposed to obtain. Even worse, you could end up injured.
If your training runs end up with this feeling, you are in for a rude awakening (Photo Pexels)
Peaking: Most have questioned at one time, how am I supposed to run 26 miles in October if we can barely make it through 16 in July. And the answer is quite simple: follow your training plan. It is designed to help you run a certain distance, at a certain pace, on a certain period. It is not good to be ready to run goal distance at goal pace, 6-8 weeks before the race. It is physiologically impossible to keep yourself at top performance condition beyond 3-4 weeks, so the time to peak must be managed.
Accumulated Fatigue: As training evolves, the athlete accrues fatigue. This results in heavy legs or not hitting the mark on certain training sessions. When you need to run 20 miles, or 10×800 with four weeks to go on a marathon training cycle, you should be very tired. It is normal. But remember a tapering period is on its way so youâll be to get the starting line with fresh legs and a strong mind.
Recovery: Runs together with fatigue. Recovery is as important of an element in a training plan as the work itself. Now, as you train hard, the time will come when a recovery run or one off-day is not enough. Be smart and take an additional off-day or a recovery week if needed. Be wise and donât overtax yourself by completing a specific workout when your body just doesnât have it on any given day. You are better off cutting a few miles or a couple of reps than spending additional days recovering from an excessive effort.
Adrenaline: Be mindful that race conditions are way different than training conditions. Starting a pre-dawn run around your block is not as appealing as the starting line of the Berlin Marathon or arriving to First Avenue at the NYC Marathon. The spectators, the surroundings and your excitement will give you an adrenaline boost to carry you through. So, donât overthink it if you lack enthusiasm for a few days. It is covered during race day.
While many of these parameters seem to be common sense, it comes the time when the obvious must be stated so a struggling athlete can be guided to that eureka moment that will allow him/her to regain the trust in the process.
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by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 2, 2022 | Coaching, Science
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
As a running coach, athlets often ask me about weekly mileage. How many miles should I run if I want to complete a marathon? Can I only increase my mileage by up to 10% a week? Why can so-and-so run XX miles a week and I am running only half of that? Am I losing fitness if I lower my mileage for recovery purposes for a week or two? And many, many more.
The right mileage is as individual as each runner. There is not one number that applies to everybody (Photo: Pexels)
Well, the answer to all these questions is the same. It happens to be the same answer to most running questions: It depends.
They key for any runner looking to improve on their times, distance, pace or fitness is to understand that the main goal should be based on performance, not on a pre-set number of miles. It is a matter of achieving your objectives while remaining healthy and injury-free. I recently read that you should run in between âas much as you can get away with and as little as you can get away withâ. Genius!
The appropriate mileage for a runner is as individual as each athlete. It depends on a series of variables which need to be dialed appropriately so progress wonât be hindered, and injuries may stay away from the equation. Such variables are:
Goals: Before you figure out what is the right mileage for you, set up your goal. If you want to run your first or your best 5K, you will not run the same mileage as if you were training for a marathon. At the same time, a marathoner may need to run 100+ miles per week if he wants to run 2:20, while that number is a prelude to severe injury for a runner trying to break 4-hours in the same distance.
Age: Even the elites slow down as they age. They still run more than you or me, but they require more recovery in between vigorous efforts. What you could do in your 20s or 30s no longer applies in your 50s or 60s and you must accept it as part of the aging process. Look forward to competition in your age group and to be the best you can be at whatever stage of your life youâre currently at.
Experience: If you have been running for 30 years, your body is adjusted to a certain pounding on its bones and soft tissues. This alone will allow you to run longer. Not because you are holier than thou, but because you have adapted. Understand that not because you have adapted, your body can take unlimited mileage, so donât overdo it either.
Miles are dictated by the interaction of many variables, such as goal, pace, experience and injuries, among others (Photo: Mikhail Nilov, Pexels)
Pace: Most runners want to run as fast as we can. We would love to set up PRs in every race, but thatâs a chimera. So, we adapt to reality. Running slow is the key to running faster, for many physiological reasons that are beyond the scope of this post. Understand that the long run is about spending more time on your feet, pounding the surface, not about running faster. The sooner youâll grasp and accept this concept, the faster youâll be running.
Injuries: Certain injuries will require you to stop running altogether. For days, weeks or even months. Others will force you to reduce your mileage but not necessarily stop. Be smart and make sure you understand what your body is communicating. A shorter mileage today may be the key to avoiding zero-mile months down the road because you overdid it and now you are injured.
The 10% Rule: This is an urban myth. This is not a magic number, not even a well-reasoned percentage. If you are an experienced runner and your body has done it recently, you can increase that mileage by as much as you can tolerate it. If you are coming off 10 years on the couch eating Doritos and drinking Coke, it is advisable to take it easier. Less than 10% per week.
Sure, there is always the freak of nature that hit the gene lottery and can do whatever they want, for as long as they want at whatever pace they want, with little to no recovery time. Yes, they exist, but those are outliers. Do not compare yourself to them. It would be like comparing yourself to Eliud Kipchoge and not understanding why you canât run a sub-2 marathon. So, be smart.
The essentials for a solid running plan are flexibility and adaptability. It must be dynamic. The best is always an individual plan, personalized just for you. But it is understandable that this is not in everybodyâs reach. Generic plans downloaded from the internet may be ok, but are dime-a-dozen, with the key operating word being âgenericâ. If you are to use one of these, make sure you are not so rigid that youâll end up hurt because you did too much or undertrained at the starting line because you did too little.
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by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 5, 2022 | Coaching, Guest Perspective, Opinion, Reflection
By Coach Nick Bonnedahl
The following is a post I recently read in LinkedIn, from the pen of Coach Nick Bonnedahl. It is short, to the point, and it touches on an issue that affects so many runners. It mirrors the way I think about coaching certain athletes, but Coach Bonnedahl, beat me to it and wrote it first.
Blog post reposted by persmission of Coach Nick Bonnedahl
What he states in the post affects so many runners just looking for a quick solution to their athletic problems. It reflects the reality of those who complain the coach is not doing his job because they are not progressing. It echoes the mindset of those who canât reach their goals, so it must be somebody elseâs fault.
With the authorâs permission, I am reproducing his post here.
I do not want to coach you ifâŚ
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You are looking for a quick-fix.
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You like to cut corners and look for a magical pill.
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You are unprepared to put down some work and ready to go for it.
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You are not ready to invest in yourself emotionally.
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You are not doing it for yourself but for someone else.
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You come with excuses, not turning up.
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You blame others or events instead of the real reason (YOU).
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You are not honest with yourself.
But, if you are someone that wants to get the result and work for it, ready to change habits and routines, prepared to invest in yourself to feel better, younger, and happier. If you want to get into/back to running, want to lose some weight, getting motivated, inspired, having accountability, getting coached in a fun way, physically and mentally for long-term results and changes, drop me a message to see if you are a fit.
Nick Bonnedahl is a qualified running coach, ultra-running coach, personal trainer and weight loss specialist based in Thailand.
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